{"id":44682,"date":"2025-03-28T06:30:29","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T06:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=44682"},"modified":"2025-03-28T06:30:29","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T06:30:29","slug":"drake-baldwins-welcome-to-the-majors-moment-is-still-a-great-sign-for-braves-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=44682","title":{"rendered":"Drake Baldwin’s Welcome to the Majors moment is still a great sign for Braves fans"},"content":{"rendered":"
Drake Baldwin’s first MLB hit was almost a tank to centerfield.<\/div>\n
\n
\"Drake<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Atlanta Braves opened the 2025 MLB season against a familiar foe: the San Diego Padres, who sent Atlanta packing in the NL Wild Card Series a few short months ago.<\/p>\n

It was been a competitive, back-and-forth affair, and while the Braves bullpen eventually gave up the game late, Atlanta’s offense at least looked more like the titanic force of 2023 than whatever we saw last season. Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley both went deep. Albies almost knocked his second HR, but was robbed at the left-field wall.<\/p>\n

Then, with a single out in the top of the sixth inning, rookie catcher Drake Baldwin stepped up to the plate. Batting seventh in place of the injured Sean Murphy, Baldwin struck out and walked in his first two at-bats. In this third trip to the plate, however, Baldwin gave Braves fans a true taste of his immense ceiling.<\/p>\n

Baldwin worked the count against lefty Yukei Matsui, then roped an absolute tank to straightaway centerfield. He was feet \u2014 and one Jackson Merrill snag \u2014 away from his first MLB hit and home run.<\/p>\n

\n

Jackson Merrill nice catch to rob extra bases pic.twitter.com\/6pih1pvmPm<\/a><\/p>\n

— Carlos (@LFGPads19) March 27, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n